Peace deal not tied to amnesty for Reds

AMNESTY for several detained communists is not a condition to the peace accord with the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“The proclamation by the President is that the general amnesty is not a condition to the signing of the final peace agreement, and is not a condition to the agreed form of ceasefire,” Labor chief and peace negotiator Silvestre Bello said.

“The granting or issuance of the President of a general amnesty proclamation, subject to the concurrence of the honorable Congress, is a separate issue and not attached to the issue of ceasefire,” Bello said.

A draft proclamation granting pardon to 434 political prisoners has been submitted for the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte, government negotiator Angela Librado-Trinidad earlier said.

She said the draft was submitted to the Office of the President prior to the start of the second round of peace talks in Oslo, which had concluded over the weekend.

The government and the NDF is expected to reach a final peace deal by 2017.